“Being photographed is something that I’d considered for years. It just never felt like the right time, nor did I feel like I had the confidence or support to actually go through with it. It was a pie in the sky dream that felt too scary to go through with.
This changed when I was scrolling social media and saw my roller derby teammate recently had some stunning photos taken. She looked beautiful and fierce—like an extension of who she was on the track. She made taking these beautiful photos seem attainable, rather than daunting.
After talking to my teammate about her experience, I booked a consultation with Jenn. The studio itself is perfect. It’s inviting and calm—filled with natural light and beautiful pieces of furniture, clothing, and jewelry. I’m fairly certain that Jenn herself is magic because after only completing the provided surveys for my style, favorite colors, and vibe, she pulled the most incredible outfits for me to try on.
With every outfit, Jenn empowered me to share how what I was wearing made me feel, and she allowed me the space to be vulnerable. If an outfit wasn’t quite right for me, we moved on quickly to something else that would build the perfect palette.
The day of the photoshoot was a dream. Getting my hair and makeup done by Katrina could not have been a better experience. Katrina is a goddess. I provided her with general ideas of what I like, and she created the most cohesive, complementary look that has probably ever existed. Ever. She took extra care to ensure the looks she created were suited to me, and not too similar to other great looks she created. My hair and makeup lasted all day—through the photoshoot, a Target run, and date night.
The photoshoot itself was better than I could have imagined.
Jenn showed me exactly how to pose my face and body—which is great since I had no experience. In showing me how to pose, Jenn would provide almost a small narrative to describe the pose or the emotion she wanted to evoke. We jammed to music, laughed a lot, and relished in the positive and warm environment of her studio.
The photo reveal experience was nothing less than incredible. It felt more intimate than the consultation and shoot—dimmed lights to view the slideshow of photos, the stillness of the studio, and the wall of photos of me.
The photos of me are exquisite. When viewing them, I recognize myself as more than.
More than a mom, more than a partner, more than a roller derby player, more than an HR professional.
As Jenn and I were discussing the photos, it became abundantly clear why I was there, why I had photos taken: I am so proud of the woman I’ve become. This shoot is not something I could have done a decade ago, or even three years ago.
We all take photos for different reasons, and mine is to remind myself that I am resilient, strong, and beautiful. ” ~Adrienne
